Devouring midnight

Toya quietly stood behind M for a few moment before butting him with her nose.
"You lose." She grinned, the words muffled from the snack she had in her mouth. "Looks like its mine." She winked to him before chewing it up. "Yum."
Haru walked over to Albany, catching her before she fell from dizziness.
"Breathe." He muttered, placing her on the floor, keeping his arm around her waist. He raised a brow at the horses. "Look like M lost...to a girl, M you're losing your touch."
He grinned, before walking through the crowds slowly, not wanting to make Albany feel worse.
"Geez what did you do to her M?"

--

Sai raised a brow.
"I get my fix where I can, as for you...you may simply imagine me in a masculine form, or even think of Barnelby. Hey I'm not judging, if you want to be gay, be gay....That's catchy I may just put that into song..."
She raised her arms above her head, feeling her elbows crack.

M snorted as if to say 'I didn't do anything...what ever do you mean?' while his eyes remained on Toya.
"You're not very nice" He grumbled, feeling the empty spot in his stomach he'd been saving for pie.
"Tummy hurts now" He whined, watching as Haru led Albany through the crowds.
Albany walked unevenly, unable to shift the sickly dizziness M had been so wonderful to bestow upon her.
"...There's something...wrong with him..." She whined, hand to her lips in seconds mid urge in preparation to prevent the spill her shaken guts upon the floor.

--

Pyro forced a chuckle.
"If I were to imagine you with a masculine figure, I would have to overcome my opinion of you as a defenceless female, and trust me when I say...that's not going to happen any time soon...besides...who says Barney's attractive in any way?" He tilted his head as if barely aware that Barnelby sat right beside him.

Toya laughed quietly, sneaking him a snack from the same vendor when his back was turned.
"There and you should be thanking me. I'm making you do exercise, soon you shall be skinny!"
Haru looked at them both, saying nothing he made his way into a small tavern, barely noticing the disgruntled patrons as he made his way up the stairs, placing Albany on the bed.
"Feel better?"
He asked, brushing her hair from her face.
"I'll be back in a moment." Rising from the bed, he slipped out the room, throwing a coin to the bartender as he made his way to the door.

--

"Helpless? Moi? I think not, besides I think Barnelby's very attractive." She grinned, kissing Barnelby on the cheek. "Yeah, so manly." She sat next to him, draping an arm around his neck, staring a Pyro with an amused expression.

M ate the snack greedily, beaming at her.
"I'll thank you for the snack, but I like my blubber, I guarantee I shan't lose any weight under your guidance" He winked and licked his lips.
"That was a good snack...but I doubt my stomach will want to deal with it...meh...it's worth it"
Albany lay sprawled out on the bed, exhausted, breathing deep breaths to try and setting her manic insides, eyes closed to shield them from and form of light which only encouraged the sickly feeling to return.
"Much better..." She muttered to herself, aware of Haru's disappearance but unfazed due to her inability to move in her travel induced illness.
"...I hate you M..."

--


Barnelby sat, blinking. A blank expression pasted onto his face as if unsure how to react.
"Manly? Oh how badly I must have insulted you" He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.
"But if you truly think his looks are more...desirable than mine...that's your...rather odd opinion"

"N'awwwww, I wanted to give you a grueling diet of exercise rewarded by junk food. Fun spoiler."
She looked around suddenly aware of the strange stares they were both getting from the locals.
"I don't think we're acting like normals...."
She stumbled lightly a sudden weight on her back.
"Wow, horses are comfy!" The voice mused, practically bouncing around with joy. "Too bad you're not really a horse are you? Nooo, well let's make this a bit more difficult for the kitty." The male slid off the horses back, staring at the mare, his one purple eyes turning black as he stared the mare in the face. "Tell him, his soul is mine." His voice lowered to a growl, slight sparks emerging from his hands. "And I will get it back."
He pressed his hand to the mares forehead, smirking standing for a brief moment before dissolving into smoke.
Toya stood still, blinking.
"What? He didn't do any-"
Her words were cut off, her form shrinking turning to that of a human. She fell to the floor panting.
"Ow..."
Her eyes ran over her own form with shock.
"No no no no no no no no!"
She stood up, shaking.
"This....no!"
She ran into the tavern she had seen Haru go through, bumping into several people in her hysterics. Running up the stairs she spotted Albany.
"W-where Haru?" She panted, her new stomach stinging. She lifted her shirt.
At least he gave me clothes... She thought to herself, her fingers running over a scar, she stared at it for a moment before realising what it was.
The Master was etched into her skin.


--

Sai nodded.
"Oh yes, so desirable, nothing's as good as Barnelby."
She smirked, brushing her lips to Barnelbys.
"He's more manly than you Pyro."

Albany sat up slowly, still pale but evidently feeling better than she had when pulled from the horse's back.
"Who are...what's going on?" She said, staring curiously at the stranger before her. At the same time M ran in just behind her, not entirely finished with his own transformation as small patches of his brown pelt faded into human skin.
"She's the mare- I mean Toya...the Master changed her...still hot though..." He grinned but remembered what the Master had said.
"Where did he go?" He asked hurriedly but to his dismay Albany merely shrugged.
"He said he'd be back...he won't have gone too far I'm sure..."



--


Pyro stared, and although it was slightly unnoticeable his left eye seemed to twitch ever so slightly in reaction to the kiss, whether it was from jealousy or disgust was something of a mystery, though he certainly appeared to regret seeing it. But the expression faded quickly as his eyes fell to a different region.
"Manly...huh...well, then you may call me unmanly if you so wish...but at least I don't 'jump' to every opportunity...nice one Barnelby..." He walked off chuckling to himself, leaving the impossibly red Barnelby to reminisce the strange experience, his eyes wide behind the goggles.
"You...kissed me..." He blinked, unable to say much more before a voice called out from the thick foliage.
"Awfully slow ain't he?"

She said nothing, running back down the stairs and out the door. Catching a glimpse of white in the crowd, she ran full pelt, knocking him to the floor.
"What the hell? Are you crazy?"
Haru pushed the female from him. Standing up he brushed the dust from himself, staring long and hard at the female.
"Do I know you? You seem familiar as such."
"That doesn't matter, you have to be more careful. The Master is not happy that you've got your soul back, he wants it, badly. And he-I-They ugh!"
She tugged at her ebony hair in exasperation of not being able to get her words out.

--

"No you don't, and that's why you miss out."
She winked to Pyro, casually running her hands over the front of Barnelby's trousers. "That's also why you're unmanly."

M stood by the door, arms folded.
"I'm not chasing after her again...the entire crowd just watched me change and I don't think we need the attention..." He looked back to Albany who tapped her foot impatiently.
"You're just too lazy to walk" She smirked, looking away smugly as he prepared to answer her back.
"I...pff, I shall prove you wrong if it kills me" He left her alone once more, faintly hearing her slump back against the bed, not entirely recovered from their arrival, secretly convinced she'd swallowed some poisonous insect.
It didn't take M long to catch up to the two, the crowd was walking around them and there was quite a noticeable gap which he headed for quickly.
"Stealing from the master, you're not very smart are you?" He said, as he came into their space.
"You've pissed him off now...I think you would have been safer soulless, at least you were kinda on his good side." Even as he spoke his eyes were sliding over to Toya with interest.

--


Pyro watched her from the shade of one of the gnarled tree which stood out amongst the tall growing oak, hiding his unimpressed expression.
"Well...If you want to put it that way, I suppose being manly MUST mean getting hard over such...well...what to call you...available? Annoying?...useless? In any case...while I can keep it in my pants...Barnelby apparently can't...is that really a good quality in a man?"
While he tried to use whit to outdo her, his tone was quickly changing to one of spite towards, not Sai with her taunting, but Barnelby with his startled look of innocence which did little to distract his new bodily reactions as he tilted away from her, trying to come to grips with the concept he couldn't quite grasp.
Pyro purred as he paced around in the shadows.
"Would you rather I was more like Barnelby? Ugly and estranged?...you have peculiar tastes Sai"

Haru stared at M.
"It wasn't stealing I bargined for it..."
Toya looked at him, a brow raised.
"Well clearly he was not consulted, this does not make him a happy master. He's ditched the barbies and is on a rampage."
Haru glanced at her.
""I'm sorry do I know you?"
"Yes."
"Then who-"
She smiled, amused at his confusion.
"Caliga, or you know me better as your horse. This is what happens when you make him mad. He takes away your get away route and slowly depletes your resources."
She turned to M, folding her arms across her chest.
"Eyes back in your head pervert."

--

Sai stood up, walking into the bushes.
"Don't be mean Pyro, you know he'll find a odd way to get back at you. Besides if Barnelby's so strange, why do you feel so threatened?"
She smirked, walking back into the house.

His eyes narrowed as if insulted.
"Then what the hell am I? Don't tell me he's going to try and deplete me too, besides, I can carry three people if I have to" He stuck out his tongue and folded his arms once more.
"Besides, if I don't look at yah like that, no one's gonna" He looked around, wondering if the master had chosen to stick around, after all, Haru was in plain sight, there would be many opportunities to confront him.
"Don't forget kiddo, you may have bargained for it back but you bargained with the wrong person, and unfortunately, while your soul's back in your body, you're still not the owner...and you haven't much claim to it either...your deal with that ass hole still stands...he'll get it back if you're not careful...not that he has any way of convincing you to give it back...then again...what was your original deal anyways?..."

--

Pyro stared after her, his gaze flicking over to Barnelby who'd already made a fast recovery, bustling around as before, although strangely enough, he hadn't uttered a word of his favourite song, because of course, something else was on his mind now.
"I'm not letting her have this one..." He muttered, quickly leaving his shady patch to walk into the house after her, determined to somehow get the better of he smart mouth.

Caliga looked at him in disbelief.
"Oh really."
She looked around spotting several pairs of eyes raking over her new form.
"Looks like you got competition M."
Haru nodded slowly at M's words, the sudden information knocking his thoughts askew.
"I...should really get back to Albany...The original deal was that he wouldn't lay a finger on her...and now that the deal's broken..."
He cut off walking back to the tavern, Caliga following close behind.

--

Sai smirked to herself, hearing Pyro's footsteps.
"You just can't stand to lose to a girl can you?"
Turning around, she fought to keep her smile under control.
"And what's worse is, you know I'm right. Awww poor Pyro has to lose this one I'm afraid."

M frowned.
"...And I had to be the idiot to leave her on her own didn't I?...of course" He turned and followed after the other two, a sudden feeling of nervousness coming over him.
"You turn your back for one second and you're already screwing up" He muttered to himself, although his mind was distracted, he was vaguely aware of his eyes once again trailing off to the female without his consent.

--


Pyro pouted, stepping up just behind her, thrusting his arms around her waist as he pulled her back to him.
"Fiiine, you win this round, little naked...shirt stealing child, but I shall win the next one whether you...or Barnelby like it. And I thought I you loved me, so how could I be losing you to a creature with no emotions and a tendancy to sing badly? What are you falling for exactly?"

Haru walked back into the tavern, climbing the stairs with haste.Upon finding Albany in the room they had left her, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, that's one worry out the way..." He mused to himself.
Caliga caught M staring at her once more.
"Once again, eyes in the head or I will use them as ice cubes in my next drink. Don't forget, you are married and I can imagine worse punishments than the diabolical pink thing you are wearing at the moment."
She walked into the room, making herself comfy on the floor, she stared into space, no apparent reason to do anything.

--

She ran her fingertips over his chest.
"I will tell you that I am falling for the jerk who ruins my outfits and is a delight to wind up, because he is such an easy target."
She pulled away from him.
"I shirt steal because you owe me."
Sticking her tongue out to him she smiled lightly.

Albany sat up, looking at him with a happy smile.
"You were worried? Well you didnt need to be...M's poor concern for his rider hasn't killed me yet...sickness gone"
M entered the room, glancing around at the faces of their small group before his eyes returned to Caliga.
"Married or not I can't bloody touch you anyway...regrettable I assure you..."

--

He chuckled softly, nodding with agreement.
"I suppose I do owe you some form of clothing...giving you my castoffs just saves me money" He looked around at the well decorated house then grinned.
"Who am I kidding...I love that shirt!...but there's no stealing back from you...since I'm so mean...time to redeem myself..." He stepped to a somewhat neglected doorway, clicking it open he peered inside.
"I know you wanna keep the shirt...but there's a whole new wardrobe waaaaiting" He stepped through and began shifting in between the masses out different garment, pausing to wonder why there were a few dresses hidden away at the back.

She smiled lightly.
"Good, or does that mean you'll force me to touch you...Hmm this is an intriguing development."
Haru sat on the bed, hugging Albany lightly.
"Can we leave for a bit, there's something I've got to tell you..."

--

She stepped in besides him, her mouth open at the sight of all the clothes. Slipping out of his shirt, she pulled on a few garments, mentally reminding herself to ask Barnelby why he possessed women's clothing, she picked the shirt up.
"By the way, I'm still keeping this."

M smirked, slumping down next to her, shuffling his lower body around until finally managing to make himself comfortable.
"Oh you may touch me all you like, I certainly wouldn't stop you, but unfortunately for me, should any kind of desire for more fall upon me, I shall be 'confined' and forced to keep it to myself, you mentioned punishments, well, a tutu is not all my lovely wife has thought to bestow upon me..." He broke off as a red flush of embarrassment fell upon him.
Albany tilted her head, still smiling though it was fading as a hint of concern crossed her mind.
"Something wrong?" She took his arm, lifting him from the bed after her.
"Sure, we can leave" She smiled again, glancing back at M and Caliga.

--


He chuckled, tugging a dress from under a large pile of neatly stacked socks.
"Alright, I'll let you keep the shirt...if you help me get Barnelby to wear this by the end of the week" He held the dress up, grinning behind it.
"Come ooooooon...you know he'd look super cute"

Caliga propped herself up on her elbows.
"Right..."
She tapped his nose lightly.
"Too bad I will only touch you when hell freezes over. So until then, sweet dreams asshole."
She stood up, making her way out the door, the confinement of the building making her feel slightly dizzy, the wooden walls spinning.
Stepping out into the sunlight, she breathed with relief, the dirt track staying where it should after a few minutes of breathing.

--

Haru lead her out the door and into the centre of the town, sitting on a old stone monument, he pulled her onto his lap.
"I guess you want to know what's going on right?"
He sighed lightly.
"It's no secret I got my soul back, I bet you could sense his presence. But I have to ask you to be extra careful...Master is not a happy fluff ball that he once was now that he has been cheated. As a result the deal I've made with him is broken...I can't risk losing you."

--

Sai pushed him gently.
"You are so mean to him! ...But he would look cute. Even if I did get him into it I wouldn't let you see anyway. So, that's that idea out the window."
She draped the shirt around her shoulders, sliding her arms into the sleeves, leaving it unbuttoned.
"Mine now."

M sighed.
"Yeah...sweet dreams..." He flicked his crotch, hearing the metallic ping answer back from the terrible contraption hidden under his pants.
"For you and me both I'm afraid" He glanced around the empty room.
"Do I smell or something?..." He shrugged, making his way out of the tavern, looking down to his stomach.
"I think we've got plenty of time for a binge...not like anyone's going to complain..." He shifted forms in the shadow of the wall quickly emerging as a common stray in appearance, scruffy fur covering his canine body. "Where to start..." he thought to himself, padding along through the crowd who quickly became accustomed to his common presence, some avoiding him, some casually passing their hands over his fur. He made his decision quickly, following the scent of spit roast he came across a small open shop, row upon row of small roasted birds being turned over a series of small fires, and luckily enough, the owner was distracted by a number of chickens, running around his legs in confusion as to why they no longer possessed heads. He leaped, snatched one of the long skewers and raced off with a set of five chickens, all to himself, much to the amusement of the passing crowd.


--


Albany sighed, kissing his cheek reassuringly.
"So that's whats happening...you silly boy...don't you remember? I never wanted you to make that stupid deal in the first place...you forget I'm not a helpless little girl...I can and have been looking after myself much longer than you have...so let the greedy munchkin have his pitiful tantrum...but don't worry about me...right now I want you to worry about yourself, and what could happen to you...if he has his way you'll end up just like him...and that would be more painful for me than anything that bastard could do...it's not about me anymore, it's you he's after now...it's you who's got to be more careful, understand? As for getting your soul back, you don't know how happy I am to see that glint back in your eyes...you could never be quite the same without it..." She smiled, looking around the town, secretly searching for the master, though she remembered after a moment, she'd never actually seen his face.

--

He dumped the dress back onto the sock pile, rolling his eyes as if disappointed.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if you keep the shirt...because no matter who's clothes you wear, you're still mine, so if you think about it, so's the shirt"

He blinked, his ears twitching slightly.
"I know you never asked me too, but you forget I saw the state of you when I first met you...even thinking back on that just tears me up, I never want to see you like that again."
He looked her in the eye, his normal cheerful expression completely wiped blank.
"It'll be more than a tantrum. He's only pulling at strings at the moment, just niggling at your mind enough to drive you into paranoia, until you can barely sleep or function. Then he'll cut away your last remaining float that keeps you from drowning in insanity..."
He rubbed his head, feeling an ache growing.
"I can handle him...just, but he's learning how to push my buttons and he knows you're one of them. He knows that I love you and he will use that to his advantage."

--

Her ears flickered back, pressing against her ivory hair.
"I'm a possession now? Bad choice of words I think, you wait."
She smirked, her golden eyes glinting with mischief.
"I'm going to make you regret ever saying that."

She hadn't stopped smiling throughout his entire speech, lifting her finger and placing it against his lip gently.
"He's not going to hurt me, and he's not going to get the chance to use me against you. He has never managed to physically hurt me, the only one who truthfully has is Alton, under his instruction yes, but the master has never hurt me, nor will I let him. And listen to me when I say that I am far enough from insanity to know what I'm talking about. I'm not going to be his advantage over you, so get that silly thought out of your mind before I beat it out, I love you, and I won't see your excellent mind driven mad by this...child" She reached up, stroking an ear with the same curious expression she had worn the first time she had chosen to amuse herself with them.
"And you will sleep, even if I have to watch over you, I won't let him deprive you of rest...you're much too handsome to be burdened with eye bags."

--

Pyro winked, slipping underneath a rack of clothing to appear by the door sneakily.
"Oh I doubt it, MY little kitten" He rushed through it and searched the house for a decent place to wade out her mischievous ideas, groaning as he heard the endless tune erupting from the garden like the buzz of an insect.
"OH WILL YOU SHUT UP!" He screamed from an upstairs room, locking himself away secretly.

He smiled lightly, nipping her finger.
"Unless you sleep beside me I won't be sleeping at all. Besides insanity has already got me, can you not tell?"
Scooping her up in his arms, her placed her over his shoulder in a firemans lift, watching a dog tear past with a skewer of chicken. Pausing for a moment he began to laugh.
"Bet you that's M."
He chuckled to himself, walking in the direction of the dog, curious to see if his thoughts were correct.

--

Composing herself, Sai walked outside to Barnelby. Smiling sheepishly, the glint still in her eyes.
"Barnelby...I was wondering, do you have the keys to the rooms? Pyro deserves humiliation at the moment and believe you me I will give it to him."

"What's M?" Albany asked, looking around from her awkward position in his grasp. She proceeded to giggle as the odd feeling intensified, feeling slightly embarrassed to be carried in such a way.
The dog darted up onto a small secluded spot by the treeline, suddenly shifting back to human form, panting harshly as it fell back against the grass, ripping the first chicken from the skewer, helping itself to one of it's legs.
"God how I love a good chicken..." M growled, shoving the meat into his mouth.

--

Barnelby stopped mid-song, his eyes flicking around his workspace, his hand dove into a box of metallic objects which clanged together as he rummaged around, pulling out a silver ring with a series of neatly jingling keys hanging from it, he quickly unlooped one from the set, dropping it into his pocket before finally handing over the small collection.
"three floors up, third room in, second closet to the right...could be funnier to lock him IN" And as soon as the keys left his hand he began shuffling about once more, flicking through the pages of a book, written in his own handwriting, with the same enthusiasm he showed to any knowledge on his secret obsession, eyes locked on the flowing red hair he himself had illustrated.

Hidden within his dark closet, Pyro snuggled up to the folded blankets and bedding, feeling the warmth radiated from behind the wall, closing his eyes, his foot resting on the locked door, awaiting a more suitable time to emerge.

Haru let Albany go, placing her feet on the ground. He stared at M for a full minute, an amused expression on his face.
"...I can safely say that the owner of those chickens can't wait to see the back of you...or the dog form you chose."
He smirked, settling his form on the floor before pulling Albany onto his lap.
"His children will go hungry tonight..."

--

"Thank you!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around Barnelby's neck. "Just don't say a word when he comes down...I don't want him to notice..." Removing herself from the room, she ran up the stairs as quietly as she could. Opening the door that Barnelby had claimed he was in she smirked to herself.
"Makeover time!"

M paused, the chicken leg sticking out of his mouth mid crunch. He quickly swallowed his mouthful and shrugged.
"If it bothers you that much I'll go back and pay the poor bugger...or better yet...I could always eat his children, you never know...he may just thank me"
He was quick to finish the first chicken, leaving only it's spine, claiming very sourly that he couldn't stand the thought of swallowing a spinal cord. With a smug grin he held up the wishbone.
"Who wants to pull with me?" He asked.
"Ew...it's all greasy and wet..." Albany giggled.
"Duh, it's just been cooked in pig fat, not to mention it's been in my mouth"
"...I'll pass"

--

Barnelby dropped the book, rummaging through another of his boxes, he pulled out a large camera, grinning smugly with the prospect of catching such well plotted revenge on camera.
He placed the camera in front of himself and returned to the book, waiting for the priceless moment.
Pyro lay curled up on the blankets, warm and content, he had no way of knowing that his hiding spot had been discovered.

He opened his mouth to speak, but thinking better of himself he shut it. Rearranging his features he made his face blank, listening to the conversation between the two, trying to fight the million thoughts that raced inside his head.
You know it as well as I do.
Shut up Goddamn it!
Try as you might, you know that you cannot deny what will happen. It's relentless even picturing any other outcome.
That's not true, there's always another option.
Yes and I'm the Queen.
SHUT UP!
...Don't say I didn't warn you.
The argument in his head vanishing as Albany laughed, the voices dying to slow murmurs. Barely even there if he chose to ignore them, which was a feat in itself, so much as thinking about them brought them back up to roaring noise. Breathing deeply, he turned back to M.
"I'll pay for them...then have to tell the man how I'm going to punish my rogue dog." He smiled.

--

Sai quietly opened the door, sticking the keys in her pocket. Trying to make as little noise as possible, she leans over him. Several different objects clutched in her hand. Using each, she slipped from the room once more, making sure he was still asleep.
He'd sleep through a war.. She reminded herself. Padding down the stairs to where Barnelby stood, she slipped him back the keys.
"And now we wait."